Vendors for some Connecticut festivals are falling victim to scammers.

Potential new vendors for the Norwalk Oyster Festival are receiving emails about booth fees and vendor applications from someone claiming to be the Norwalk Seaport Association. It began last year with emails to vendors but continued as a social media ad using official logos.

Jerry Toni, executive director of the Norwalk Seaport Association, said there are red flags people should look for.

"Payment method is one of the big issues, because they ask you to buy gift cards, some Apple gift card, or some other process other than what would be traditional methods by which anyone would make a purchase, a credit card or something like that," Toni explained.

One vendor in 2025 fell for the scam and lost $500, though they were able to recoup their money. Toni pointed out one of the best ways to confirm if the Norwalk Seaport Association is genuinely reaching out is to call them directly.

However, it’s getting harder to identify such scams with new technologies and artificial intelligence allowing scammers to easily duplicate official logos.

Kristen Johnson, communications director for the Better Business Bureau Serving Connecticut, noted it can deter vendors from applying to be at certain festivals, leaving them without business opportunities. She added it is equally frustrating for festival organizers.

"Now they have to worry about people showing up that aren’t actually approved to be there," Johnson observed. "Then the fact that vendors are spending $500 to be part of an event they are actually not going to be able to participate in."

She added the scams are a nationwide problem with international actors. The Norwalk Oyster Festival plot was traced back to Kenya. Johnson stressed people should be sure to do their homework on festivals where they want to be vendors. She suggested researching websites, reviews and other details, as a lack of information is a red flag.

Source: Public News Service